Do you have a block party invitation in hand? Maybe you’re sending out summertime party invitations yourself soon. Or even if you’re just gearing up for a fun Fourth of July celebration, summer is heating up, so it’s best to plan recipes that will cool things down.

Here’s a sampling of some of our favorite summer recipes from some great go-to, one-stop shop recipe websites:

Red, White and Blue Ice Pops.
A surefire kid pleaser, these patriotic pops are made from a blue sports drink, lemonade and cranberry juice. The trick is to leave enough time to freeze each layer of juice. Also be ready to insert the popsicle stick after the first layer starts to freeze. myrecipes.com recommends freezing the juices in indiviual 8-oz paper or plastic cups in the following order:

Cranberry Juice – 1 HR

Lemonade – 2 HRS

Blue drink (like Gatorade) – 3 HRS

Watermelon Margaritas.
For the grown-ups, these refreshing drinks will liven up a heated body quickly! Lime and sugar soften up the tequila, the staple ingredient used in this classic summer drink. Watermelon consists mainly of water, but everything else is powerpacked with healthful goodies like fiber, beta carotene, Vitamin C and antioxidents. Check myrecipes.com for more tasty uses of watermelon as a superfood.

Crisp Cucumber Salad.
If you’re surprised to see the word “crisp” attached to this typically soggy summer salad, it’s because we’re recommending the tricks offered by a Cooks Illustrated recipe in their current July &amp; August 2011 issue. With their hands-on experimentation and food science experts’ recommendations, they’ve come up with an outstanding recipe that includes olives, almonds and oregano. It stays crisp through these three key tips:

Use only American cucumbers (crisper than their English cousins)

Reduce 1/3 c vinegar to 2 Tbsp vinegar on medium-low before using to mix in the dressing

Add 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice to recoup the reduced vinegar’s tartness

Have any cool summer recipe favorites you’d like to share? Please let us know. If you’re now inspired to host a block party or other summertime party, check LookLoveSend.com’s growing collection of fresh, fun party invitations. Join our email list and receive 20% off your first order!